HR Products

Page-holder for dead/dying US lead/white-metal maker of some years standing; see link, last updated 2010, copyrighted to 2005?

HR Products Website

Harry Reynolds Products - H Reynolds - HR Production - 'HR Products' - Reynolds - Zanger

4 Sutherland Avenue, London, EC1, UK (earlier)

Reynolds Works, Farm Lane, Fulham, London, UK (later)

Tel: Cunningham 6867

See also: HR Products (USA, unrelated), Timpo and Zang

Flourished 1951-1960 (Joplin gives '51-'53 for the hollow-casts, Garratt; "Fl. '55") the plastic discoveries probably extend the later accepted dates somewhat.

Garratt originally ascribed several hollow-cast figures around 54mm to this firm, Plastic Warrior magazine (and its contributors) have since added several plastic versions of those figures to the oeuvre, along with policemen; possibly from (or designed to accompany) toy vehicle sets, identified from Norman Joplin's 'Great Book of Hollow-cast Figures'.

The company is also now known to have produced a small range of OO-gauge compatible farm figures and animals for model railway layouts in hard black or brown polystyrene.

The name comes from Harry Reynolds who - Norman Tooth told Plastic Warrior - inherited the company from a John Zanger of West London, this was his father; an immigrant from Europe, whether the company had another name at the beginning/for a short while is not known.

Were known to have exhibited dolls-house furniture and 'toys in metal and wood' at the 1947 British Industries Fair mounted in the Olympia exhibition centre; as H Renolds.

Listing

Novelties (large scale hollow-casts - designed by Norman Tooth)

- Grouse

- Pheasant

 

Raygun Water Pistols (in transparent coloured polystyrene)

- Atomatic Senior

- Atomatic

TV Related (hollow-cast, designed by Norman Tooth)

- Bumblies (x3, after a creation by Michael Bentine)

54mm Metal Hollow-casts

- Romans (x2 [known], designed by Norman Tooth)

- Vikings (x5 designed by Norman Tooth)

- Knights (x2 [known])

Treasure Island (x5 pirates - designed by Norman Tooth)

•         Black Jack
•         Captain Hook
•         Cutty Carver
•         Long John Silver
•         Wall Eye Jim

- Cowboys (? Existed in plastic)

- Indians (?)

Policemen (Norman Tooth designs)

• Mounted Policeman (similar pose to Barrett & Sons example)
• Standing - Hands Behind Back (similar to Timpo version)
• Standing - Directing Traffic, Standard Uniform (similar to Timpo version)*
• Standing - Directing Traffic, Hi-visibility White Coat
• Standing - Directing Traffic, Overcoat/Greatcoat

- Divers /Frogmen (x1 [Known])

54mm Plastics

Super Box

- Romans (as metal)

- Vikings (as metal)

964505/037405 - Cowboys (boxes of 5, at least 4 ex-Crescent poses)

- Indians (?)
Divers / Frogmen (as metal?)

Other

- Beat Policeman (as 3 above, blue/black plastic, possibly vehicle set accessory)

- Traffic Policeman (as 4/5 above, white or blue/black plastic, possibly vehicle set accessory)

OO-Gauge Plastic Farm Sets

Set 1 - B&W Cow, Brown Cow, Pig, Farm-hand, Milk Maid

Set 2 - Horses (x2 different), Grey Sheep, Farmer, Farmer's Wife

* Pose seems to have been copied by Wardie/Mastermodels in their zinc die-cast OO-gauge compatible civil range and further copied/passed to Merit (J&L Randall) for their magnetic Driving School board games in pink, cream or red polystyrene.

Links

HR Production on the Home Blog
Grace's Guide Page

Further Reading

Plastic Warrior magazine, issue 150, pp.17 and issue 166, pp.13

JG Garratt 'The World Encyclopedia of Model Soldiers' pp.86

JG Garratt 'Model Soldiers' pp.238

Norman Joplin 'The Great Book of Hollow-cast Figures' pp's.132, 133 & 318

Myths

Stands - Garratt states "...biscuit-coloured footstands" in his encyclopedia, but green and grey bases are also to be found within sets of the hollow-casts; mustard and green in the OO range.

Title - Early references to this company refer to 'HR Products' a title shared with a far more prolific US whitemetal aftermarket or garage modelling/war gaming and figure-kit business, however all packaging found by Plastic Warrior and this author state HR Production for the UK company so I will use the difference, in the tags, to separate/differentiate between the two, and furnish a disambiguation for the 'Products' confusion.

 

 

HR (Disambiguation)

Could be referring to:

 

HR Productions (UK hollow-cast and plastic manufacturer)

HR Products (US whitemetal kit and hobby accessory manufacturer)